My Dim Fluctuating Light
by EchoTaichou
Summary: Kazuto shakily picked up his mobile terminal. He leaned on the wall nearest to him and took a trembling deep breath. "I'm so sorry guys. In the end...I guess all heroes die one way or another." A one shot story.


**A.N: This is probably my first one shot I ever written. Hope you enjoy it! Constructive Criticism is gladly welcomed. Reviews and encouragement too!**

 ** _Caution! Spoilers for non light novel readers and slight spoilers for non-web novel readers!_**

Kazuto shakily picked up his mobile terminal. He leaned on the wall nearest to him and took a trembling deep breath. His hand clutching his fatal wound.

"Damn...To die like this...stupid." he muttered to himself and opened his contacts menu. Quickly tapping Asuna he pressed the call button. She picked up on the second ring.

"Kirito-kun? Why did you call me this late?"Her timid but worried voice rang vibrantly through his brain. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Sorry...it's nothing Asuna, I just wanted to hear your voice." He replied with a short debate in his head whether to tell the truth or not. He chose not to. He was more of my actions speak more than my words type person. However he has never really said the three words he always wanted to say. The three words that fluctuated softly in his mind and heart.

He was dying, there was not a chance he would survive. He was already having trouble trying to breathe, "Asuna...tell Yui I miss her dearly right now, and that Papa always loves her."

"Why so emotional all of a sudden Kirito-kun? Did something happen?" Asuna asked a bit worried.

"Just a bad dream Asuna. Sorry for bothering you."

"Its okay Kirito-kun. I love hearing your voice anytime." There it was again, those comforting words. Even when he was close to death, that voice always managed to calm him down.

Kazuto smiled faintly, "I will see you later Asuna. I love you." There it was the three words he always had in his heart. The three words that flamed his passion to survive.

"I love you too Kirito-kun. Good night."

"Good night." He softly said back and tapped the end call button.

He slid down the wall, no longer being able to hold his weight anymore. Breathing a bit heavily he smiled at the heavens. _I finally did it..._.he thought happily abit sadly. _Eugeo...I finally did it._ Slowly but suddenly memories started to flash through him.

The very first time he and Asuna met. Or how she threatened him with a butter knife because he didn't want to party with her. Her orange hair flaming brightly in the setting sun of Aincrad. Her look of pure happiness when they met each other for the first time in the real world. The precious memories of the girl he loves. Then memories of all his closest friends...no his family in all but blood flowed through him.

Him teasing Klein about girlfriends and him retorting back. Silica and her radiant smile and her dragon partner Pina. Lisbeth and the smirk she always gave him whenever he got in trouble from Asuna. Sinon handing him Excalibur with the same devil smile when she gave him the present grenade. Agil begging him to taste the ragout rabbit dish. Suguha smiling and waking him up and her cheerful attitude always believing in her mother and father, Eugeo's strong personality and brother like figure, always comforting him and aiding him, even in death. Alice and her absolute loyalty, standing for what she believed was right and not backing down.

As each memory flowed him, the more tears started to well up in his eyes. "I wanted to spend so much more time. I wanted to make more memories worth remembering." He sobbed quietly, "I just began this life, a new life compared to my old one. The love of my life….a family I can cherish." The blood was seeping out much faster now and was making a small puddle or crimson around him. His vision was slowly deteriorating, his strength waning. However he, despite his weakness in strength slowly reached into his chest jacket pocket and pulled out a photo.

"I'm so sorry guys. In the end...I guess all heroes die one way or another. But…..I can leave a small legacy," he muttered with a sad smile. Kazuto's eyes closed and his raised hand slowly fell to his side. The right gripping his phone fell limply to the side and the phone clattered on the ground. His left hand holding the photo layed on his lap. His mouth held a peaceful but melancholy smile. His hand was still clutching the photo of his "Family" while his right hand was pressing a button on his phone. Brain Burst Program….Released

* * *

Asuna looked at her phone. Its been a few minutes since Kazuto phoned. However something was bothering her.

 _I think I should check on his temperature and heart rate. It always gives me a small bit of comfort_. She thought to herself as she reached out towards her cellular device.

"What is this dreading feeling? Why can't i shake off the fact something is wrong?" She muttered to herself. She picked up her device and prepared to unlock her phone, "Kirito-kun will be alright." She reassured herself. However as she turned on the screen and gazed at it, her heart plummeted.

"What? No this has to be a system glitch." She said with a small bit of panic and restarted her device. She turned it on again. The wallpaper which used to have a steady 63 heartbeat and 36.0 temperature was at 0 and -3 respectively.

"It's a lie right Kirito-kun? You are not dead are you?" She said in a full blown panic. She quickly changed out of her nightgown and into her winter clothes. She threw on a jacket and ran out the front door.

"Yui-chan," she said while sprinting down the streets looking at her GPS which was pinpointing Kazuto's location. "Can you get everyone to meet at the dicey Cafe? Tell them its an emergency." She managed to tell Yui without her voice betraying too much emotion.

"Roger mama!"

She cut the call and kept looking at the gps. 40 meters...20 meters...10 meters...there! She quickly stopped and looked around. Right next to her was a dimly lit alley. The moon's brightness giving a soft glow to the alley She walked down the alley, "Kirito-kun? Kirito-kun? Can you hear me?"

Desperately she made a call to his cellular device. And she heard the familiar ringtone near her. She turned around to see a familiar black clad figure leaning on the wall.

"Thank god, Kirito-kun you had me worried. Your status was not showing up well on the application. C'mon lets go, everyone's worried." Kazuto didn't move.

"Kiri-"she stopped abruptly. Around Kazuto was a crimson pool of blood, his hand was gripping his cell phone which was dimly lit and his other hand clutching a picture.

"K-kazuto-kun?"her voice trembled.

She rushed forward, her hand unknowingly speeding through emergency numbers. "Kirito-kun!" She exclaimed now in a full blown panic, "Kirito-" she stopped.

In Kirito's hands was a photo they took with everyone. Everyone smiling happily in Agil`s cafe as they celebrated Kazuto`s birthday. Kazuto seemed to have passed away holding this photo. His head was slightly leaning on his shoulder, eerily making him look peacefully asleep. He had a small smile on his face.

"Kirito-kun...No...this can't be." she said disbelievingly slowly reaching up to touch his face. It was ice cold. "You promised...you promised that we can be a family. That you will bring Yui into the real world. We were gonna be married in a few months!" The moonlight made Asuna's engagement ring gleam. "You...you...you"

Asuna couldn't hold it any longer. She wailed in despair. Her cries begging her love of her life to come back. She hoped that somehow his eyes will open, and he will reassure her like he always dead. But it didn't happen, Kazuto didn't open his eyes. Asuna clutched his body tightly to her chest. Hoping that he will have a heartbeat. Or even a tiny bit of movement. She despite her heart protesting against the lie, refused to believe he was dead.

"This is Kirito-kun," she thought strongly to herself, "He won't die like this." She refused to believe he was dead when the ambulance came. She refused to believe he was dead while he was carried away. She refused to believe he was dead till the paramedics declared him dead.

And with those hateful words, "I'm sorry ma'am. He's dead." She felt her world shatter around her.

* * *

Asuna trudged towards the Dicey cafe. Her legs felt like it was made out of lead. Rain was pouring, but she didn't care. Kazuto was dead….gone, her world didn't seem so important anymore. She arrived at the cafe and opened the door.

"Oh hey its Asuna." She heard Liz say as she stepped in, "Why did you call u-" She noticed Asuna's dripping clothes, hair and dead eyes.

"Asuna!" Liz exclaimed, "Why are you soaking! C'mon lets get you some dry clothes...Asuna?" Asuna gazed slowly at everyone in the room. Klein was sitting by the counter holding a drink, looking at her worriedly. Silica was looking very worried about Asuna. Sinon was grabbing a few towels from Agil who was supplying them. Suguha was not here, she had heard about her brother already and rushed towards the hospital. Alice was staring at Asuna, trying to determine what was wrong,

"Asuna what's wrong..." Sinon asked quietly and gently as she wrapped the towels around Asuna.

Her best friends voice broke the ice around Asuna, "Ki-ki-" she stuttered her eyes started to well with tears.

"Kirito? Did that blunt person hurt your feelings? Ha! I will give him a little lesson about being careful!" Lisbeth exclaimed, rolling up her sleeves and grinning.

"He's gone."

Lisbeth froze, "What?"

"Gone...dead...passed away." she said, her tears starting to spill out. Lisbeth's smile disappeared. Sinon dropped one of the towels. Klein dropped his glass and it shattered on the floor. Agil' hand froze, Silica had her hand raised to her mouth. And Alice had wide eyes.

"You are lying right?" Sinon whispered quietly, "Asuna please tell me you are lying." She surged forward and gripped Asuna's shoulders. "Please tell me you are lying...please." she begged, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. Asuna shook her head. Her own tears streaming down her face.

Sinon let go of Asuna's shoulders and dropped down on her knees. Her sobs began. Making everyone else realize the situation. Klein had tears streaming down his rugged face. Silica was hugging Lisbeth tightly. Both of them wailing. Alice was being comforted by Agil who also had tears streaming down his face.

The door opened quietly behind them and a hug embraced Asuna. "Asuna-san...Yui wants to talk to you. She doesn't know what`s going on..." Suguha's shaky voice whispered to her.

Asuna trudged into one of the dimly lit room of Agil's cafe. The Full dive room. Trying to drown out the cries of sorrow from behind she walked over to the chair and put on the Amusphere.

"Lin-Link Start."

Sooner or later she found herself laying in the soft bed of the cabin in the 22nd Floor.

"Mama!" She heard a familiar voice exclaim and a small girl hugged her tightly. Ever since the War of the Underworld. Yui became a True AI, her emotions and thoughts no different from a normal human.

"Yui-chan..." Asuna whispered, "Papa...papa is gone."

The hug slackened, "Gone? You mean on vacation right? Weren`t you and papa supposed to go together?"

Asuna shook her head, "No Yui-chan...Papa is...papa is...papa is dead."

The small girl let go of Asuna and slowly backed off. "No...no. Papa can't be dead. He can't die, he's unbeatable!" Yui said shaking her head in refusal.

"Yui-chan..." Asuna whispered.

Seeing the look of absolute despair in her mothers face made Yui's denial disappear. The air around her shimmered and codes appeared around her. "No...no...NO!" She screamed and the force of it made the house disappear for into a scroll of binary codes for a split second before reverting back.

Asuna ran up to Yui and hugged her tightly. "Papa...papa..." Yui sobbed loudly in Asuna's shirt. Asuna just clutched Yui tighter and cried with her.

 **-As of October 11th 2032 the Black Swordsmen Kirito or known as Kirigaya Kazuto was declared dead. However on the day he died a mysterious developer released a device called the Neurolinker. The whereabouts or who the developer is, is unknown. All we know is the famous proclaimed name….Star King-**


End file.
